Ball
by fadetoblackened007
Summary: Inuyasha reflects on his childhood during a quiet night at camp, while Kagome does her best to bother him. InuKag, slight OOC-ness.


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Ball

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by Ama (Shades of Oblivion

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I pulled myself up with ease, having finally found a comfortable-looking branch. Shifting around to find a good position, I heard the familiar sounds of camp being set up from below. The thought of offering my help crossed my mind briefly, but doing such a thing might disrupt the order of things. If I went down to help now, they might expect me to help later. It could result in anarnackie, or whatever that word was that Kagome had used.

Looking down, I saw Kagome shifting through the inside of her big yellow... thingy. I think she called it a 'bag-patch' or something. I gave a loud "Keh!" Stupid future... stuff. I looked down again and side as she took out one of her books that she used to study for those god-forsaken 'test' things. I still don't believe in those 'test' things. It's all just an excuse for my Kagome to go back to her time and flaunt her beauty to all those stupid future males.

Wait, hold on, back up a second.. _My _Kagome? Since when was she _my _Kagome? And what beauty did she have to flaunt? I looked down again. _'Well,' _I thought to myself, _'I suppose she is kinda pretty...'_

I shook the thought off with a grunt. I laid my head back against the trunk of the tree and waited for sleep to claim me. A strange gurgling noise shook me from my stupor. I sat up abruptly. The sound again reached my ears, coupled with a familiar sensation in my stomach. I hopped out of my branch and walked over to the girl, who had once again started sifting through her things. "Oi, wench," I said, a little more harshly than intended, "when's dinner?"

Kagome smiled up at me, pulling out a packet of the greatest thing to ever grace the face of her horrid future world. "Why, are you hungry or something?" She asked. She had a habit of asking the most obvious questions... and yet it never really bothered me. In fact sometimes it was kinda cute...

I shook the thought out of my head again as I took a seat by the fire. She filled a bowl with water and began preparing my favourite dish- Ramen. The smell wafting from the bowl was enough to make my mouth water. Kagome noticed this and smiled. I liked her smile... it was sweet and pure and... gah! What's with these stupid thoughts!? I turned my attention back to the fire, the flickering oranges and reds grabbing my attention. I stared at the fire with a vacant mind for what seemed like forever. Suddenly, I felt a hand tap my shoulder. "Inuyasha? Your ramen is ready," Kagome said softly, offering me the bowl.

After devouring the bowl, I looked around the campsite. Something caught my attention. "Oi, Kagome," I called, pulling her from her book, "where is everyone?"

"Oh," she said, her intoxicating smile once again gracing her lips, "Miroku and Sango went to Kaede's village to get supplies, since were so close. That way we can keep searching for more shards without having to worry about getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere."

"Oh..." I said. "They took Shippou too?"

"Un, Shippou wanted to go visit Kaede again."

"I see.." I said, my thoughts trailing. That meant it was just me and Kagome again...

I don't know why, but I didn't really like the idea of her staying on the ground by herself. I shrugged to myself. She had been alright before, she would be fine now. Looking over at her again, with her face buried in one of her books, I decided now would be a good time to get back to trying to sleep. I looked over one more time as I prepared to leap back up to my branch. I heard her call out just before I leaped. "Goodnight, Inuyasha."

I leaped up to my branch and reclaimed my previous position. Leaning back against the trunk again, I felt my thoughts wander back to my past. Looking around nervously, I reached into the sleeve of my haori and pulled out a small red ball. A smile graced my lips as I recalled the day my mother had given it to me. I started tossing it back and forth absentmindedly, my thoughts trailing back to my mother.

I stood in a field, my tiny four year old legs crossed under me, head in hands, tears flowing freely. The village kids had laughed at me again, and beaten me. I just wanted to play with them... it was all any four year old kid wanted. My ears picked up footsteps behind me, but I was too busy crying to turn and see who it was. I felt a familiar pair of arms wrap around me, and my mother's voice filled my ears as she cooed and hushed me and asked what was wrong.

"None of the other kids want to play with me," I cried. Mother hushed me and gave my tiny body a tight squeeze.

"Don't worry, boy," she said with a smile, "Someday you'll find someone who wants to play with you."

I didn't believe her then, and I don't today. But then she squeezed me once more and an excited tone entered her voice as she spoke again, "Ne, Inu-chan, I have a present for you!"

My tiny face distorted into a smile, chubby cheeks squeezing tight. She reached behind her and pulled forward a red ball, about the size of her fist. To my tiny body it was gigantic. I took it from her gleefully, and just held if for a moment. Then I got an idea. I gave the ball a light toss, and took delight in the way it bounced. I chased after it, laughing, all of my problems forgotten.

I sighed, and turned my head on my perch in the tree, still tossing the ball back and forth in my hands. If only my problems were as simple now as they were then. I gave another sigh as I turned back. I looked at my hands just in time to see the ball slip off of the tips of my fingers and go plummeting into the darkness below.

Panic filled me as I leapt from the tree. I ran off in the direction I had seen it falling, searching everywhere for it. How could I have lost it? Where did it go?

"Inuyasha..." I heard a familiar voice behind me. I turned to see Kagome, a worried look in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Kagome," I said, contemplating whether or not I should tell her about my secret. "Feh, it's nothing, I just dropped something."

"Oh," Kagome said, looking slightly relieved. She reached into her pocket and pulled out my ball. "Was it this?"

"Where did you find that?"

"It fell and hit me," she said, giggling. "Why do you have this thing anyway?"

"It's none of your business, so just give it back," I said in a demanding tone.

Her face brightened in the way it usually does right before she does something to embarrass me. This time was no different. "Ne, Inuyasha," she called, raising it above her head, "FETCH!"

I saw the ball go flying past me and made a dive for it. I caught it before it ever hit the ground and quickly leaped back up into my tree. I heard Kagome giggling.

"That wasn't funny!" I called, a slight twinge of hurt in my voice. She was being mean, just like all those little kids.

I heard he grunt with effort as she swung up into one of the lower branches of the tree. "Oh come on," she called up, "I was just playing around."

I just sat there, feeling her get closer and closer. I felt pretty confident that she wouldn't get to me though. "Yeah, well, it wasn't any fun."

Suddenly I felt a hand grasp my arm. "Well? Are you gonna help me up or what?" she asked.

I was worried about her being so high up, but I just shrugged and did what I was told. I held her in my arms in front of me, and without thinking about it, I rested my head on her shoulder.

"Ne, Inuyasha, you never answered my question. Why do you carry a little red ball with you?"

"It was a gift from my mother," I answered before I could stop myself. There was something intoxicating about her presence.

"Oh..." she said, guilt in her voice. "I'm sorry then..."

"No, it's alright," I said, my character slipping more and more with each passing instant, "you had no way of knowing anyway."

"Still... I'm sorry."

She shivered as a cool gust of air brushed through the tree tops. Cursing her strange clothing, I wrapped her inside of my haori. 'Thank you," she said sleepily.

A few moments passed with neither of us saying much. I felt her stir in my lap.

"Ne, Inuyasha," she said again, grogginess overwhelming her voice, "Mgnnnmfmmnn..."

"What was that?"

"I said, will you play with me?"

I looked at the girl in my arms for a moment.

I nodded, "Un, I'll play with you whenever you want, Kagome-chan."

"Good..." she said, sleep claiming her body. They say that sleep makes you look ten years younger. In Kagome's case, it wasn't quite true. In her sleep Kagome was more like an angel than a small girl.

"Aishiteru, Kagome-chan," I said softly, kissing her gently as sleep claimed me.

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A/N: Awww... how cute. I don't think I could've made Inuyasha any more out-of-character if I tried, but hey, Love makes us do strange things, right?

Anyways, it was great fun writing this little one-shot. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. =)


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